All glory is fleeting

Juan Pablo Montoya won the 2015 Indy 500; this year he finished last! Sam Hornish Jr. arrived in NASCAR with 3 IndyCar Championship and an Indy 500 win on his resume. He won a remarkable 19 races, in his own words, "I had won so much in IndyCar it became a little bit blah."

That same success didn't follow Sam to NASCAR. His Sprint Cup career was pretty forgettable, to be honest.

He was never able to find the winning magic in the NASCAR world. His time at Team Penske and later Richard Petty Motorsports never produced a trip to victory lane. He achieved some level of success in the Xfinity Series, though, scoring 4 victories.

He hadn't raced in 210 days until he got the call to drive the fabled No. 18 Gibbs Toyota. All Sam did was take that car at Iowa and dust the field for an impressive win.

His reaction to the win was highly emotional, a little surprising for a guy whose face in on the Borg Warner trophy. He was able to win and have is wife and kids join him in victory lane, something he had never experienced. We spoke with him on PRN's Fast Talk and I can honestly say I've never talked to a driver who was so pumped up about winning an Xfinity race.

Sam Hornish Jr. may never be on top of the racing world again, but he feels like he's a better person than he was back in glory days. He says driving the family around in the minivan is just as satisfying as winning races. This is person that has taken a humbling experience and used it turn his life around.

In the movie Patton, the actor George C. Scott talks about how when the conquerors returned to Rome there was always a big processional to celebrate the victory.

"A slave stood behind the conqueror holding a golden crown and whispering in his ear a warning: All glory is fleeting."

Sam Hornish Jr. has learned that racing glory is fleeting, but satisfaction in life may be the best trophy of all.